A LITTLE HERO. 



113 



share of blackness and blood, and with very little 

 sympathy from any one, but with his eye straight, he 

 descended from the table. Outside he was receiv- 

 ed with a loud shout by the boys, and we never 

 heard of him again. 



The room was now full of people, and, being al- 

 ready disgusted with the practice of surgery, I sin- 

 cerely hoped that this exhibition would cure all oth- 

 ers of a wish to undergo the operation, but a little 

 Mestizo boy, about ten years old, who had been 

 present all the time, crept through the crowd, and, 

 reaching the table, squinted up at us without speak- 

 ing, his crisscross expression telling us very plainly 

 what he wanted. He had on the usual Mestizo dress 

 of cotton shirt and drawers and straw hat, and seemed 

 so young, simple, and innocent, that we did not con- 

 sider him capable of judging for himself. We told 

 him he must not be operated on, but he answered, 

 in a decided though modest tone, " Yo quiero, yo 

 quiero," " I wish it, I wish it." We inquired if there 

 was any one present who had any authority over 

 him, and a man whom we had not noticed before, 

 dressed, like him, in shirt and drawers, stepped for- 

 ward and said he was the boy's father; he had 

 brought him there himself on purpose, and begged 

 Doctor Cabot to proceed. By his father's directions, 

 the little fellow attempted to climb up on the table, 

 but his legs were too short, and he had to be lifted 

 up. His eye was bandaged, and his hea% placed 

 upon the pillow. He folded his hands across his 

 Vol. L— P 



